Here's one that I used to watch regularly in my younger days:

The Magic Sword (1962): This one couldn't seem to make up its mind if it was a fantasy film or a horror film, but I found it entertaining. It was made by '50s low-budget king Bert I. Gordon, and, truthfully, looks a little better nowadays that when it originally came out. Basil Rathbone and Estelle Winwood were perfectly cast as Evil Sorcerer and Good Sorceress, respectively. Gary Lockwood was Sir George and Maila "Vampira" Nurmi had a small role as - what else? - a vampirish hag.

True story: In 1973, when I was a senior in high school, our Drama Club was treated to a talk given after school by two professional actors. They weren't "stars", just working actors who wanted to tell us kids what the life of a professional actor was like. One of them was a face I had seen in many commercials at the time, but the other guy was also vaguely familiar. Then the name clicked: Liam Sullivan. He played the traitorous turncoat knight in The Magic Sword. There was a question and answer session at the end of the talk, and I spoke up, saying to Mr. Sullivan that I recognized him from one of his movie roles. He seemed genuinely pleased, and asked which one. "You were Sir Branton in The Magic Sword!" I said, cheerfully. A look of horror and embarassment overtook him and he seemed to actually shrink two sizes. He stammered that being a professional actor means that you sometimes take roles that, in retrospect, you wish you hadn't! Hoping to salvage the situation, I said how I liked the film, and liked his performance. He tried to smile a little, but I could see that The Magic Sword was not a film he wanted to be reminded of!

Hey, it wasn't that bad.

Signor V.


"For me, there's only my wife..."

"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"

"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"

"It was a grass harp... And we listened."

"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"

"No. Saints and poets, maybe... they do some."